Enjoying the Simple Things

Doesn't take much to entertain these two.

"Moms and Dads can't cross this line.  Only kids."

Back to school!

As a veteran of one year as a "back-to-school" mom, I think the first day of school puts a pause on the craziness of life. For that day, everything seems to slow down, you see that another year has passed, and your children are growing up WAY too fast.

It was almost too much for me this year. What did we do this last year?! How can you be suddenly so grown up?! You want to wear what?

But everyone was thrilled to be starting up again. Even me who has at least one rant each year about the absurdity of starting school at the beginning of August (even when I didn't have kids in school). But it was time.

Andrew got the teacher he somehow decided he must have. Ms. Matthew. She is very sweet and he loves her class. She sent a letter before school started telling the kids how excited she was to have them in her class and she told them that some of the things she likes to do include "sing songs (in English and Spanish), play games with math, spelling, grammar, and do exciting science and social studies activities".

As I was reading the letter out loud, Andrew exclaimed, "I LOVE THOSE THINGS!!" as he hopped up and down. It's nice to be reminded that even though he is growing up way too fast, 6 years old is still so small. He is still excited about everything. I love it.

He looks forward to going to school each day, obviously feels that first graders are much older and more mature than kindergartners, and still prays every day that he will get a green light for good behavior. So far the prayer has been answered, even when he dumped applesauce on somebody's head at lunch. oops.

On a positive note, he did confess to it when he got into the car. Even after admitting that he had done something but he didn't want to tell me what it was because he thought he would get in trouble.

Look at that face...he wouldn't dump applesauce on someone's head! And yet, he did.

Natalie is at Miss Tiffany's this year. She is in 7th heaven. Not only is she enjoying Miss Tiffany, but her best friend/soul sister, Nora, is in her class. She didn't just want to know when she got to start school, she wanted to know when she got to go to "Nora's school."

This is Natalie's typical picture pose.

Natalie directed me how she wanted her hair done, which is something she does daily. Sometimes she even plans it out the night before.

And poor James. Stuck at home with mom and Amelia. He asks me all day every day when are we going to get Andrew and when are we going to get Natalie. But I think he is starting to enjoy the quiet and the attention a little bit. And maybe he really enjoys being able to choose to watch "Rocket" every once in a while too without older sibling censorship.

Bubbles and Blogs

Phew. I haven't blogged in a long time.

And I miss it. I miss the different perspective it sometimes gave me in those difficult moments. When I could see the situation in "blogspective" and grab my camera instead of a scowl of some sort. And I really am missing those moments that need to be remembered. It goes by much too fast and what with my complete lack of a memory, it will all be forgotten. And I really don't want to forget. Yes, there are times that I do not want to repeat. EVER. But I do want to remember. And I especially want to remember those soft, tender, fun, warm moments.

So, thanks to the encouragement of my sister-in-law Chelsee, I am going to give it a go again. A very casual go.

And I'll start with yesterday (which is now several days ago). And bubbles. And LOTS of pictures.

So, here is the story of a boy and his bubbles. But really it is several stories of a boy and his sister. And that is why I have missed blogging. Because I have not been recording these stories.

Story 1:

Boy blows bubbles (I think this is the only time he actually blew some). Boy catches bubble on wand. Boy lets sister touch bubble. Sister loves it. Mom loves interaction and sister's baby-hands clapping.

Story 2:

Boy runs circles around sister. Sister stands there on baby legs loving it.

Story 3:

Boy eats bubbles. Yuck.

Sequel:

Boy tries to feed bubbles to sister after he knows what they taste like.

Story 4:

Boy covers sister's head in bubbles. Really. It was dripping down the sides of her head. But mom seemed to mind more than she did.

Story 5:

Boy really can be sweet.

Story 6:

Picture speaks for itself. Mom's favorite of the bunch.

Story 7:

Sister watches every move boy makes.

Story 8:

Addresses important questions such as:

When did boy get so big?

And why is he wearing his shirt like that?

Story 9 in two parts.

Part 1:

I'm cute.

Part 2:

I'm sassy.

These stories were brought to us by some bubbles sent by Grandma and trees that have finally grown tall enough to give us a little shade on a hot August afternoon.

Guess who...

LOVES the trampoline?

She laughed and laughed.

A cute baby belly laugh that spreads from one person to the next until everybody else is laughing too.

Natalie, Andrew and I were laughing and jumping and laughing with Amelia (James was napping).

Andrew, midst his jumps and laughs, said, "It's so fun to have a laughing baby!"

I really think we'll have to do that again.

Joy times four

Every time I have another baby, it is a little different.  Not just the baby, the delivery, the pregnancy.  But the whole surroundings.  Because every time I have a baby, there is another little one at home to welcome her.

Andrew came home to two doting parents whose whole universe had not only centered on him throughout the pregnancy (name lists were made before discovering the gender, music was played for his sole enjoyment and enrichment in the womb...), but continued to focus on him after his birth.  Everything was new and exciting.  Everything he did we oohed and aahed and took a picture.

Natalie came home to two doting parents who had considered names before the hospital and who were excited to welcome the first girl, and to an older brother who wasn't too sure about sharing mom's lap and took his spot on that lap everytime I started to feed Natalie.  But he soon was loving her too.  He still took naps in the afternoon, and so there was still some one-on-one time with Natalie and even some alone time for me on occasion.  We were out and about soon after the delivery...why not?  With just one little one to chase and the baby very content in her car seat/stroller we could go and do anything with occasional breaks for feeding. And we took plenty of pictures, but maybe not of everything.

James came home to two doting parents.  But mom admits she didn't really have time to think much about him before he got here.  Of course there were moments when I would think of his arrival and feel so grateful and excited to meet him.  But most of mom's time was spent entertaining, chasing, cleaning up after two little children.  He got as much attention as his parents could give him amidst the busyness.  And some one-on-one attention during night feedings.  But he got non-stop attention from his older brother and sister who were now old enough to appreciate and immediately adore their new baby brother.  Kisses, loves, laughs, dress-ups.  We tried to get out right away with some semi-disasterous results.  And there were not as many pictures. 

And now Amelia.  Name, what name?  Baby, what baby?  Things were pretty crazy around here before she arrived.  And things are still pretty crazy after her arrival.  Granted, I got plenty of just me and baby time in the hospital.  And even this week with John home, I have found that I have some precious moments with her.  But that will change next week.  She has come home to a full house.  A home full of laughing, playing, make-believe, and yes, crying, fighting and some screaming (mostly done by the kids, not the mom...mostly).

But amazingly, I feel like the excitement and joy surrounding each child just gets greater each time.  Not that we are more excited over one child vs. another.  But the amount of total joy increases each time.  

With the first child, all the joy surrounding the birth is centered on only that child.  With each additional child, I feel that the joy is magnified.  Because now it's not just about the one child, but about each child and his interaction with the new baby.  

I was thrilled to hold Amelia for the first time, love looking into her beautiful eyes with my face next to hers, love rubbing my cheek on her soft head, feeling her body breathe as she lays curled up on my chest.  Every noise she makes, every face she makes I am admiring and loving.  

But I can't explain the joy I felt when these kids came to see the baby for the first time. 

Look at their faces.

And look at all those "aminals."  Natalie has some pretty lipstick on.

They were so excited. 

And just loving her.

Andrew was so excited he could hardly stand it.  He held Amelia, kissed her head with a little kiss and whispered, "I love you" into her little ear.  I get teary just thinking about it.

Natalie must have exclaimed "She's SOOO cute" 100 times.  At least.  She held her and held her and held her.  She rubbed her head with her little hand.  She covered her with blankets and made sure she had her bunny that had been given to her.  And everything Amelia did, Natalie made sure we all knew about it as she let out an exclamation of delight and announced, "She just did _____!"

James showed off his language skills and exclaimed "baby" over and over as he destroyed the room.  But he did get in a few "soft" pats on her head.  As they were all gathered around John holding her in a very tender moment, James leaned in, smiled, said "baby" and spit on her head.  Since we have been home, he has been constantly gifting Amelia with different stuffed animals and kisses "mmm--aaa" to her head.

And this warm feeling of joy continues to fill my heart every time one of the kids wants to hold Amelia, or wants to show her to her friends, or gets excited over something she is doing, or just stops by to give her a little kiss to her head or whisper something in her ear.

Joy now times four.

I feel so blessed.

Even when the nurse came in to see why there were loud banging noises coming from my room during each family visit.  Weren't those rolling stools put in the rooms for children to push each other around on?

WalMart highlight

The three who make WalMart an interesting experience every time

We went to WalMart today.  

The highlight of the trip (it really is so hard to pick ONE) was when we had left the store and I was herding us and the full cart across the street to our car.

And our super-helpful cashier came running out after us.  He was yelling and holding up a baby stroller that was holding Natalie's dog Frenchy.  The stroller that Natalie takes everywhere these days.  Even to WalMart.

"Thank you!" I said amidst the cashier's heavy breathing and the spectators' chuckles.

I unloaded the kids and stuff into the car, got in and just started to laugh.

I realized later that the stroller contained unpaid merchandise in the lower pocket.  We may have stumbled on to the perfect shoplifting scheme.  Too bad that's not really our style.  No, instead it's back to WalMart.

I just love James' face here.  He just doesn't miss anything that those older ones do.  

Kids in the dirt--starring James

This is what my kids love to do almost every day.

And I love that they are outside playing.

I do not love that James always, and Natalie sometimes, end up with dirt dumped on their heads (by Natalie) and down their clothes (if they are wearing clothes). Sometimes if Natalie doesn't get James, he dumps it on his own head.

I also do not love, but sometimes tolerate, the water on. Andrew tells me every day that the plants are thirsty. And when I allow it, we end up with a big mud pit back there.


James is just so excited that he is big enough to be out there playing with the big kids. He was particularly pleased this November afternoon.

Too much fun. And on some days, too much mess!